The T-Matrix Method in Electron-Molecule Scattering

Abstract

The current need for the development of accurate ab-initio methods for electron-molecule scattering calculations, and the difficulty of applying numerical methods, has lead to renewed interest in discrete-basis-set methods. The application of discrete-basisset methods is further suggested by the success of these methods in molecular bound state calculations. Although the standard albegraic variational methods of Hulthen,1 Kohn,2 and Rubinow3 have been studied extensively for electron-atom collisions, serious technical difficulties have delayed application of these methods to electron-molecule collision processes. Recently, several other discrete-basis-set methods have been studied which seem better suited to electron-molecule scattering. These methods avoid or minimize the need to compute free-free and bound-free interaction matrix elements since these are difficult to evaluate in the absence of spherical symmetry. The new methods also appear to be free from the spurious resonances which occur in the standard variational methods.